Half of deprived-area schools failing: Tories

MORE than half of secondary schools in the poorest areas of England are now officially classed as failing, according to the Conservatives.

They say that 55 per cent of schools in the most deprived areas failed to achieve 30 per cent of their pupils gaining five A* to C GCSEs including English and maths.

The Government wants to see all secondary schools in England achieve a target of 30 per cent by 2011.

Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said the figures obtained from the Government by asking Parliamentary questions highlighted educational inequality under Labour.

His report — A Failed Generation — claims that 144 out of the 259 schools in the most deprived areas failed to reach the 30 per cent target last year.

In contrast, only nine of the 304 schools in the least deprived places failed to do so.

The report also claims that 21 per cent of pupils on free school meals gained five good GCSEs, compared with 49 per cent of pupils who pay.

Last year seven of Oldham’s 15 high schools failed to reach the 30 per cent target: Breeze Hill (17) Counthill (27), Failsworth (29), Grange (20) Kaskenmoor (16), South Chadderton (29) and and St Augustine of Canterbury RC (27).

This year’s GCSE results will be released on Thursday, August 21.

Mr Gove called for urgent action and said: “These figures highlight yet again that children from less well–off backgrounds do not get the same opportunities as others.

“Education should be the engine of social mobility. But most schools in the poorest areas are officially classed by the Government as failing.”

Schools Minister Jim Knight retorted: “The gap between rich and poor is closing and it is misleading to suggest otherwise.”